Gravity
by makemusicnothorcruxes
Summary: Jesse hasn't heard from Aubrey in five years, not since she left him in the middle of the night. No phone calls, no letters... Jesse doesn't even know where she's gone until he runs into her on a crowded NY street. They've both tried to move on with their lives, but something will always keep pulling them back together. Maybe love is like gravity - you just can't fight it.


It had been three years since his time at Barden, but most importantly to Jesse, five years since he'd seen Aubrey. She'd just disappeared overnight, without a word to anybody. A few days later Chloe had received a text from her promising she was okay but still no explanation. It had been so out of the blue which was strange for somebody like Aubrey who controlled every single minute of her life. Some nights Jesse was still kept awake thinking about why she left and wondering if it was his fault. He'd loved her and he'd thought she'd loved him too, until she'd walked out and never bothered to call or text him back. He'd left hundreds, maybe even thousands, of messages for her in the months after she'd gone but each one had been left unanswered.

After college Jesse had moved out to L.A. and had been trying to make it in Hollywood ever since. He'd composed a few pieces for low budget films but as a whole he was still largely unknown. Today could mark his big break. He had travelled to New York to meet with a director who had asked him to bring in some examples of his work. If all went well, he'd get the chance to score an entire movie. IT wasn't some little film that would be released in no more than ten cinemas across the country, this was the real thing. He could already see his name in lights. If he just got the gig it would be the doorway into Hollywood he'd been searching for.

As he walked down the crowded New York street, Jesse couldn't help but wonder if Aubrey was somewhere close by. She'd always said she wanted to move to New York one day. She'd sworn something about the chaotic city streets and towering buildings made her feel calmer. They made her feel small and reminded her how insignificant her problems were in the grand scheme of things. Jesse had never understood that logic but Aubrey had always been like that, rationalising every situation in her head. She could convince herself of anything if she thought about it logically for long enough. Jesse had barely ever seen her lose control the entire time he'd known her. She was one of those people who led from their head and not their heart. He'd debated going to New York a million times to look for Aubrey, but it had seemed she didn't want to be found, so he let her be.

As farfetched as it was, he scanned the passing faces as he made his way to the office building where his meeting was being held. His heart beat just a little bit faster every time he caught sight of a tall blonde woman. And then he saw her across the street, glimpsing her face for only a second before she was lost again in the sea of people. He couldn't be sure she had actually been there or if it was a trick of his imagination because he so desperately wanted to find her. Either way, he had to know. He dashed out into the street, barely checking for cars first. Weaving in and out of traffic, stopping cars with a raised hand, he solicited many honked horns and vulgar hand gestures. The commotion caused little disturbance to the crowd and Jesse found himself fighting his way through a mob of hurried businessmen and women who would yield for nobody. A head of blonde curls bounced above the crowd about ten feet in front. Jesse was sure they belonged to Aubrey.

"Aubrey!" he shouted but the name meant nothing to her, or at least she didn't turn around. Jesse made one last attempt to get her attention by barrelling through the two men coming towards him and reaching out for her arm. He managed to just grab the end of her jacket and she spun around in shock.  
"Jesse?" Aubrey cried, pulling away from his grip.  
Jesse smiled, giving a slight nod. He wasn't sure of what to say – he hadn't thought that fr ahead. He's always tried to imagine what he'd do if he found her but nothing had seemed right. There were no words to describe the mixture of joy and heartache settling in his stomach right now.  
"Who's that, Mommy?" a tiny voice from Aubrey's side asked. The little girl had blonde hair just like her mom's but big, brown familiar eyes; his eyes.  
"Is she mine?"  
Aubrey's face was pale and Jesse wondered if she still had the habit of puking when she got nervous.  
"Let's get off the street," she said and slipped through a door to the left after ushering her daughter in first. Jesse followed.

Jesse found himself in a coffee shop much quieter than the world outside. It had black walls which were covered in modern art and in the centre of the room stood a strange sculpture that Jesse couldn't quite understand. They took a table towards the back.  
"I can explain," Aubrey said hurriedly, but before she got the chance a waiter arrived to take their order.  
"Two lattes, thanks," Jesse told the man, "And…?"  
"A hot chocolate," Aubrey finished for him. The waiter nodded and left to place their order. "This is Lacey. And yes, she's yours."  
Now that Jesse could take a better look at the girl he noticed the striking resemblance she bore to Aubrey. It wasn't just the hair – there was no mistaking that this was Aubrey's daughter. And yet the eyes were unmistakeably his and her nose maybe a little too. It was like looking into a mirror covered in smudges so some of your features came out skewed.  
"Mine?" Jesse repeated, waiting for the news to sink in.  
"Yes. She turned four two months ago."  
"So that's why you left Barden?"  
Aubrey nodded. The waiter had returned with their drinks. Aubrey passed a latte to Jesse and placed the hot chocolate in front of Lacey.  
"It'll be hot, Baby. Don't forget to blow on it." Lacey nodded while Aubrey ran her fingers lovingly through her daughter's hair then turned her attention back to Jesse.  
"Yes it's why I left. I was scared—"  
"You were scared? We were worried sick! It took you five days to text Chloe and tell her you were okay. When I didn't hear from you for five days I thought you were dead. I called every hospital in the state looking for you and I didn't know what would have been better news: hearing that you weren't there or hearing that you _were_." Jesse's voice was cold and low. Aubrey bit her lip, reconginising the anger in Jesse's tone. Luckily Lacey was too wrapped up in her hot chocolate to notice anything was going on at all.

"I'm sorry," Aubrey whispered. She knew those words would never be enough but there was nothing else to say. "I had controlled everything in my life, planned for everything, and then when I got pregnant I had this whole other person growing inside of me that I had no control over. I had to get away, so I took charge of the one situation I could; I left you before you had the chance to leave me."  
"Is that really what you thought I would do?" Jesse asked, looking at her with hurt in his eyes. He'd loved her with all his heart. He'd wanted to marry her and have kids with her someday; he wouldn't have minded if someday had come earlier than expected. He would have been terrified, but he never would have left her. Hadn't she known how he felt about her?  
"No," Aubrey finally admitted. "But by the time I'd figured that out, what was I supposed to say? 'Hi Jesse, just calling to let you know I'm nine months pregnant with your baby. Sorry I didn't tell you sooner!' I thought it was better if you just never found out."  
"But I'm her dad." He mouthed the words at Aubrey from across the table so Lacey wouldn't know what they were talking about. The last word felt strange as it left his lips. It was just a normal word but usually when he said it he was referring to his dad. This was the first time he'd had to use it for himself. Jesse could see Aubrey's infamous pout creeping onto her lips and he knew she was fighting back tears. Even after all these years he could still read her like an open book. Crying wasn't something Aubrey did often, which made it all the more painful to see when she did. Jesse's face softened a little. His instinct to comfort Aubrey pushed the hateful thoughts he was having to the back of his mind. They were still there, but they could wait.  
"We should do this somewhere a little more private." Jesse told her and reached out to give her hand a squeeze. When they touched, Jesse felt Aubrey flinch a little but he just held on tighter. She'd been wrong to think he wouldn't have stayed with her if he'd known about the baby, and part of him was angry and hurt about that. He hated her for the years of pain she'd put him through. But another part of him wanted to prove that he was going to be there for her, and their daughter. Jesse would never have said he believed in love at first sight, but he'd fallen for Lacey the moment he'd heard that she was his. It was strange, falling in love in an instant. His heart felt like it was about to burst and there'd never be room in it for anything else.  
"Mommy, who is he?" Lacey asked again, as if she'd just remembered she'd never gotten an answer earlier. She had a frothy hot chocolate moustache on her upper lip as she pouted just like her mother did when things weren't going her way.  
"This is Jesse, he's a friend of Mommy's." Aubrey smiled at Jesse, giving his hand a small squeeze back.  
"Jesse sounds like Jessica! That's my name."  
"Middle name," Aubrey explained. "Come on, Bug, let's go home. Jesse can come too." She threw a glance over her shoulder at Jesse as she slid out of the booth. He knew she was asking if he was going to follow. He nodded and slid out from his seat after her.


End file.
